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Review - 9 Bakery & Lounge lives up to spot's previous tenants

Published: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 12:17 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 12:17 p.m.

When I heard that 9 Bakery & Lounge was going to open in what I stubbornly continue to think of as the Caffé Phoenix location downtown, I felt a little anxiety creep in. The looming question, of course, is: Will the new place desecrate the fond memories associated with the longtime restaurant location?

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I find it interesting that there's a bakery in the building again, just like there was way back when Michael Caliva had Front Street News at number nine on South Front, even before he and his wife, Deborah, opened Caffé Phoenix. I take it as a good omen.

It's also interesting that 9 got its chef, Nick Votel, from the now-defunct Deluxe around the corner, since Deluxe originally opened about 18 years ago by stealing a chef from Caffé Phoenix.

But enough history. Let's talk food.

"Tapas" is a hip way to say small plates, a term and method based on Spanish tavern traditions. The small servings at 9 allow a casual group to taste its way through a number of hot and cold selections while enjoying a beverage or two. This is one of my favorite ways to eat, but the menu also allows for more traditional diners to get an entrée and be done with it. I admire the flexibility.

On the whole, the food we enjoyed was remarkable.

The seared scallop plate came with a rich, truffled risotto that was incredible. The large scallop was perfectly prepared and tender.

I'm a big Carpaccio fan so I was a bit put off by the relatively thick slices of raw beef (Carpaccio is usually sliced paper thin), but each piece was tender and flavorful. The accompanying dressing was very similar to a Caesar dressing, with some lemon, anchovy and garlic flavors. Quite delicious.

Prosciutto and melon, a traditional dish I remember from nice Italian restaurants growing up, was married to a traditional Southern hors d'oeuvre, the deviled egg, as part of a tapas special. It's tough to beat prosciutto and melon when the ingredients are right, and a lightly minted sauce added to the freshness. The deviled egg was vividly flavored and creamy, with saffron and capers, at once familiar yet surprisingly new.

The pickled vegetable plate was too intensely vinegary for my taste. The idea has potential, though, and the rich yield from our local farmers should help something like this work through the summer.

I'm also a big fan of both Cobb and wedge salads, so I was intrigued by the idea of combining the two. The Wedge Cobb at 9 has most of the important players, but I missed the avocado from the Cobb and the presentation was a little rough for me.

The wasabi-pea-encrusted tuna entrée features a generously sized tuna steak with a thin crust of flavoring that built the heat slowly. With only a light sear, the steak was cooked to perfection and fork tender. Ours was accompanied by another delicious risotto and was lightly sauced with a ginger soy reduction.

There's a nice wine list, although it's not very extensive. I like the opportunity to try three-ounce wine pours if I'm sampling several dishes, something 9 does not offer at the moment.

The dessert offerings change, so there's no guarantee that you'll have a crack at the banana crème brûlée we had, which was a bigger, richer, creamier version of the little pots de crème that we've all become accustomed to. I strongly recommend it if available and you'd be wise to split it.

I tried the omelet du jour for breakfast one day and was pleasantly surprised with a fresh crab and spinach combination with some herbed, coarse-ground, low country grits. If my omelet was any measure, I expect breakfast to be special every day.

I could write a whole column on the donuts, but it is enough to say that head baker Gaeten Lowrie knows his way around a donut. I've made a few thousand cake donuts myself, so I consider myself qualified to say that 9's are quite good and fresh.

The short answer to the question posed earlier is that the new tenants of the hallowed 9 S. Front St. location seem to be handling the burden of stewardship admirably. I hope to see them continue to build on the rich heritage of the spot with great food and not a little sense of history.

<p>When I heard that 9 Bakery & Lounge was going to open in what I stubbornly continue to think of as the Caffé Phoenix location downtown, I felt a little anxiety creep in. The looming question, of course, is: Will the new place desecrate the fond memories associated with the longtime restaurant location? </p><p>I find it interesting that there's a bakery in the building again, just like there was way back when Michael Caliva had Front Street News at number nine on South Front, even before he and his wife, Deborah, opened Caffé Phoenix. I take it as a good omen. </p><p>It's also interesting that 9 got its chef, Nick Votel, from the now-defunct Deluxe around the corner, since Deluxe originally opened about 18 years ago by stealing a chef from Caffé Phoenix. </p><p>But enough history. Let's talk food.</p><p>"Tapas" is a hip way to say small plates, a term and method based on Spanish tavern traditions. The small servings at 9 allow a casual group to taste its way through a number of hot and cold selections while enjoying a beverage or two. This is one of my favorite ways to eat, but the menu also allows for more traditional diners to get an entrée and be done with it. I admire the flexibility.</p><p>On the whole, the food we enjoyed was remarkable.</p><p>The seared scallop plate came with a rich, truffled risotto that was incredible. The large scallop was perfectly prepared and tender.</p><p>I'm a big Carpaccio fan so I was a bit put off by the relatively thick slices of raw beef (Carpaccio is usually sliced paper thin), but each piece was tender and flavorful. The accompanying dressing was very similar to a Caesar dressing, with some lemon, anchovy and garlic flavors. Quite delicious. </p><p>Prosciutto and melon, a traditional dish I remember from nice Italian restaurants growing up, was married to a traditional Southern hors d'oeuvre, the deviled egg, as part of a tapas special. It's tough to beat prosciutto and melon when the ingredients are right, and a lightly minted sauce added to the freshness. The deviled egg was vividly flavored and creamy, with saffron and capers, at once familiar yet surprisingly new.</p><p>The pickled vegetable plate was too intensely vinegary for my taste. The idea has potential, though, and the rich yield from our local farmers should help something like this work through the summer.</p><p>I'm also a big fan of both Cobb and wedge salads, so I was intrigued by the idea of combining the two. The Wedge Cobb at 9 has most of the important players, but I missed the avocado from the Cobb and the presentation was a little rough for me. </p><p>The wasabi-pea-encrusted tuna entrée features a generously sized tuna steak with a thin crust of flavoring that built the heat slowly. With only a light sear, the steak was cooked to perfection and fork tender. Ours was accompanied by another delicious risotto and was lightly sauced with a ginger soy reduction. </p><p>There's a nice wine list, although it's not very extensive. I like the opportunity to try three-ounce wine pours if I'm sampling several dishes, something 9 does not offer at the moment. </p><p>The dessert offerings change, so there's no guarantee that you'll have a crack at the banana crème brûlée we had, which was a bigger, richer, creamier version of the little pots de crème that we've all become accustomed to. I strongly recommend it if available and you'd be wise to split it.</p><p>I tried the omelet du jour for breakfast one day and was pleasantly surprised with a fresh crab and spinach combination with some herbed, coarse-ground, low country grits. If my omelet was any measure, I expect breakfast to be special every day.</p><p>I could write a whole column on the donuts, but it is enough to say that head baker Gaeten Lowrie knows his way around a donut. I've made a few thousand cake donuts myself, so I consider myself qualified to say that 9's are quite good and fresh.</p><p>The short answer to the question posed earlier is that the new tenants of the hallowed 9 S. Front St. location seem to be handling the burden of stewardship admirably. I hope to see them continue to build on the rich heritage of the spot with great food and not a little sense of history.</p><p>Features: 343-2343</p>